Hurt Piece
by SevenSixteen
Summary: AU. Ali's killer has been arrested. Nick McCullers was taken into custody once the evidence was analyzed. That was the summer before Junior year. Now, late in their Senior year, Emily knows her friends and family won't understand why she's secretly dating Paige McCullers - the quiet, brooding girl with no friends and no family.
1. Chapter 1

Emily looked down into wide, dark eyes; her hair pushed to the right side of her face, falling aside her neck and some spilling onto her breasts. Her shirt, a formfitting blue plaid button-down that had been unbuttoned a little to reveal her a white, lacy bra and her breast that had been pushed up. She only wore it when she was going to see Paige.

She sat perched on Paige's legs, the girl's hands at her waist, holding her firmly so she wouldn't fall. She craved moments like these. The two of them, alone, without a care in the world but each other. She had silenced her phone to vibrate because she refused to be disturbed. It would only be but for so long until someone found out about them.

"What's wrong?" Paige asked. Emily sighed. Even if she was skilled at hiding the way she felt, Paige knew. She had always known. But she hadn't wanted to get into this tedious discussion. Emily snaked her arms around Paige's neck and pulled her towards her.

"I don't want to talk about it," she answered, closing her eyes at the feel of Paige's lips on her collar bone. She kissed butterfly-like kisses there and ascended towards the exposed side of her neck. Emily moaned, adjusting herself atop Paige's legs.

"Are you sure?" was the muffled reply against her shoulder where Paige's lips had traveled. Emily arched her back and shifted her head to the side. Paige unbuttoned the rest of her shirt and wasted no time peeling the shirt from Emily's body. Emily's eyes found Paige's and she nodded. She didn't want to talk now. She waited a full two weeks since she had last touched Paige; or let Paige touch her for the matter.

She leaned in for a kiss that Paige eagerly received. She missed this. She just missed seeing Paige, touching her and kissing her. This hiding thing was beginning to be difficult. It was why she was so upset in the first place. She couldn't be with Paige in public.

"I love you," Paige whispered once her kisses had turned into desperate licks. Her tongued laved the skin right under Emily's jaw. The darker girl moaned her appreciation. She shifted impossibly close to Paige, her fingers tangled in dark tresses of hair.

"I love you too," she admitted, pulling away from Paige's lips to look at her. "Undress me," she demanded softly. She needed this, she was sure. Nothing could diminish her anguish like Paige's touch. "Make love to me," she requested. She was only this bold when the other girl was in her presence.

Paige had said nothing. She stared into her eyes, right at her; right though her. She was quiet, mysterious and brooding, all qualities Emily couldn't resist. She wanted desperately to find out all of Paige's secrets; wanted to know everything she'd been thinking and wanted to give her everything she wanted.

It was all there, her secrets and fears, all in her eyes. And all Emily needed to do was look. She knew that Paige needed her just as much as she needed Paige. She looked on, her lower lip tucked between her teeth while Paige's fingers worked at the hook of her bra. Suddenly, the straps loosened around her shoulders. The material fell forward, towards Paige. The lighter girl slowly removed the bra altogether. Emily could remember when she was undressed in front of Paige for the first time. The other girl's expression was nothing short of how it was now. Awestruck with hints of reverence. Emily had felt loved in her gaze.

"Paige," she whined, arching her back in a means to offer herself. Immediately, Paige's mouth was at her breasts, kissing and licking with light sucks and loving bites. Paige's arm secured around her waist while her free hand smoothed up the skin of stomach to her one of her breasts, the one she hadn't been kissing on. She rolled Emily's hardened nipple between her fingers. She squeezed the skin, teasing it with a breath of air before taking it into her mouth, giving Emily's body the attention it needed. She moaned loudly. Emily threw her head back and pulled on Paige's hair.

Paige lifted, Emily secure in her arms. Emily yelped in surprise and giggled when Paige positioned her on her back. Paige quickly settled on top of her, between her open legs. Emily had never been so happy to have on a skirt. Once she was comfortable atop Emily, she found Emily's breasts again. She licked up the valley and shifted towards Emily's left breast until her tongue circled around the dark, hardened nipple she found there. Emily arched again, trying to bring her body closer into Paige's mouth.

"Did you know…" Paige began, kissing the skin under Emily's breast and leading a trail to her abs, the ones she worked so hard to get to impress Paige. Paige nipped at the skin there and Emily mewled. They hadn't talked about it, but Paige knew that biting heightened her state of arousal considerably. She gushed when Paige's tongue dipped into her belly button. "I was made for you," she finished belatedly. And if it wasn't Paige's actions that would get her off, it would be her words.

"Yeah?" she asked, but it had come off as a wanton moan. Paige understood, like she always had.

"Mhm," she answered, unbuttoning Emily's skirt. The darker lifted slightly so Paige could slide the denim from her waist and down her legs. Emily stared down at Paige between her parted breasts and open legs. Her panties were ruined, thanks to Paige. "And did you know that no one is going to keep me away from you?" she asked, kissing the side of Emily's left leg where it bent at the knee. Emily bit her lip hard and sunk her fingers into her sheets as Paige made her kissing descent. "Not even your friends," she spoke into her inner thigh, "not even your mother," she was a little past her mid-thigh, "and not even you," she said at last, her lips landing right in the apex of Emily's thighs. Emily moaned loudly as her body realized the pressure of Paige's mouth there.

"Paige, please," Emily begged, considerably frustrated when Paige removed her lips. She looked down when she opened her eyes that had fallen closed at the sensations. She took in the sight of Paige's wet lips – her lips that she had wetted, even through her panties – and reached down to take care of her them. She needed them off, surely Paige could see that. This slow tease wasn't something they could do often. And with her mother off to the airport, she was going to take full advantage of the two weeks she was alone.

Except, her mother wasn't gone. She hadn't heard her mother come through the door, nor had she heard her heavy-heeled footsteps on the hardwood floors. Pam must have heard Emily's moans because she wouldn't have walked towards Emily room and she wouldn't have opened the door to see a girl between Emily's legs. She wouldn't have seen her little girl almost fully naked body under a girl she had undoubtedly recognized as Paige McCullers.

"Mom!" she jerked up into a sitting position and covered herself. She looked towards Paige briefly before looking back at her mother. "What are you doing here?" she had asked quickly, now standing awkwardly before Paige and her mother.

"I want you decent in the next two minutes and the both of you downstairs in the living room," Pam demanded, slamming Emily's door shut. Emily could feel it. All the panic and anguish she had felt before rose from her arousal and suddenly she had felt sick.

Paige didn't look guilty. She had looked how she always looked. Untouchable and unapproachable.

"Em, relax," she offered quietly.

"Relax?!" she snapped and regretted as soon as she had said it. She never liked snapping at Paige. A relationship in private couldn't survive if there were fights. No one, not their friends or Emily's mother could make either of them apologize to each other because they hadn't known. "I'm sorry but I'm sure you were there when my mother walked in on us about to have sex," she said, trying hard to calm herself. She still had on her soaked panties, which chafed uncomfortably against her sex. She ignored it and went for a clean pair of pajama-bottoms. She picked up her bra and hastened to put it on. Paige watched, as she hadn't been naked whatsoever, not yet anyway. The quieter Paige had been the more guilty she felt for snapping at her. Once she had gotten on her shirt, Paige spoke.

"I'm telling you to relax because I meant it when I said that no one was going to keep me away from you," she told her. She leaned forward to kiss Emily. "Whatever she says down there won't make me run away, okay?" she assured. Emily immediately felt sad. Paige would never run. She had never run away from problems. She had stayed and fought and suffered. _But what if I run_, is what she wanted to ask. She forced the question from her mind. She knew Paige would follow.

"I love you," Emily announced as she watched Paige pull on her shoes. The lighter girl looked at her in what Emily could briefly recognize as surprise. She then smiled when the expression fell away from Paige's face.

"I love you more," she replied, a small smile on her lips.

"Emily!" she had heard her mother call from downstairs. She took Paige's hand and led the way to the door.

"You'll pay for that McCullers," she whispered so only the girl could hear. With Paige's hand in hers, the anguish eased slightly. Paige squeezed her hand to let her know that she couldn't wait.

They both stood in front of her mother, side by side. Paige refused to let her hand go and Emily didn't know whether to be proud or to be afraid. Paige wanted everyone to know. She had wanted to hold her hand in the halls at school and kiss her before leaving for class. Emily was the silent partner, ironically enough, considering that Paige had only one friend outside of Emily and publically, Emily was very sociable and friendly with everyone.

"Is this what you do when I leave?" Pam asked, her arms folded across her chest. "Do you wait until I'm gone to have sex? In this house?" Pam was sure that now that Emily was out as gay, that she wouldn't have to worry about things like Emily having sex in her house. It was a silly thought. Surely, girls had urges too. Still, Emily hadn't given her any sign that she was sexually active.

"Mom," Emily began, "I'm sorry you had to see that," Emily apologized. No way was she sorry that it was happening; that it was going to happen.

"What is… this?" she pointed to their joined hands, the end of her question coming out with disdain lacing her voice. She hadn't meant to say it like that. She just couldn't understand it. The gay thing – she had gotten over it – but the gay thing with Paige McCullers is something she couldn't understand.

"This is my… my girlfriend," Emily answered, squeezing Paige's hand. The other girl still hadn't let go.

"How long has this been going on?" Pam asked. She just couldn't wrap her head around it. She was sure her daughter knew why she was so skeptical to even begin to accept that Paige was her girlfriend. "What happened to Maya?" She hadn't expected her daughter to flinch at that. She knew that Emily and Maya were no longer seeing each other, but she had never known why. And she knew it was unfair to be apprehensive of Paige, but she had liked Maya, eventually, anyway.

"Paige and I have been together since the summer," she answered and to that her mother looked outraged.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. It was the question Emily had been dreading. She couldn't come up with a good enough reason for Paige so any excuse she gave her mother wouldn't suffice. She looked at Paige, who had tightened her grip around her hand. She was letting her know that anything she would answer, she wouldn't run. She turned back to her mother.

"I knew what you would say," she answered, "I knew you would hate Paige."

"What?" Pam asked, "I don't hate Paige," she lied. She didn't necessarily hate Paige, but she was weary of her influence on Emily. A girl that went through what Paige had couldn't be as well-adjusted as she seemed standing in front of her. She hadn't said a word. She just stared with an even countenance and peering, dark eyes. It unnerved her. "Was this your idea?" she asked, immediately regretting asking that of Paige, who hadn't reacted.

"Mom, no!" Emily answered for her. Pam quieted and tightened her crossed arms. "Look, I'm sorry you saw… us, but I love Paige, okay?" she said, the words coming from her lips easily. It felt good to tell someone. "I love her more than I've ever loved Maya," she felt bold, surprising both her mother and Paige.

Pam was quiet, unsure what to say. She couldn't really argue with that one. There was something about Paige that had her daughter so captivated, so much more than she had been when Maya was in her life. Still, she couldn't shake her apprehension. "I'm not sure if I'm okay with this?" she said.

She was startled by Paige's voice. "Okay with what?" she asked, her voice was strong. "You're not okay with her loving a girl or you're not okay with her loving m-," she was cut off by Emily.

"Paige, don't," Emily demanded, more out of fear that anything Paige said would make her mother even more skeptical about their dating. Effectively, Paige quieted at her request.

"I'm going to go," Paige said to her, untangling her hand from Emily's.

"Paige please, don't go," Emily begged.

"I'm sorry you had to see what you saw," Paige apologized to her mother, "But I won't apologize for loving your daughter." She made her way to the door, Emily right at her heels. She turned before opening the door. She kissed Emily, a slow, soft kiss on her cheek.

"Don't disappear," Emily begged.

"I'll call you," Paige replied and turned to leave. Emily watched her go.

She turned and walked up the stairs on the way to her room.

"Emily!" her mother called. "Emily, come back, we'll talk about this," Pam demanded. Emily kept walking. She was angry. If her mother had been more understanding, Paige wouldn't have left. Pam followed after Emily right until they stopped at Emily's room.

"You shouldn't have found out the way you did," Emily sighed, "but you acted the way I thought you would," she finished. "And you can't expect me to understand, you can't, because Paige is not her father," Emily promised. "Paige is not the daughter of a killer; she's my girlfriend." And with that, she closed the door in her mother's face.


	2. Chapter 2

**I want to give thanks to everyone who has reviewed and followed and favorited. This is definitely the greatest welcome back I've ever received. I want to remind you that this is an AU story; I know it wasn't said previously. I'm doing my best to stay in character, so please bear with me. But please, review, let me know what you think of this chapter. Thank you! Please review!**

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"You shouldn't be sneaking out," Paige reminded without looking. Emily always wondered how Paige managed to do that. Without looking, Paige could tell if she was present no matter how hard she had tried sneaking up on her.

"And you shouldn't be alone," she countered. Paige hummed her "touché" but made no move to turn around. "How did you know it was me?" she asked, wrapping her arms around Paige's waist. She had an incomplete list of small pleasures in her mind. Holding Paige would be a high number on that list. Just holding Paige made her heart race and set her mind at ease. After a moment of silence, Paige answered.

"There are no more monsters in Rosewood, and no one would be caught dead approaching," she answered, staring down at the stone and grass before her. Her response made Emily grimace with displeasure. Paige had developed a morbid sense of humor, a great contrast to the sense of humor she'd had before, back when high school started. "How did you know I'd be here?" she asked, moving her head to see Emily out the corner of her eye. Emily leaned forward and planted a kiss on Paige's cheek.

"I just know you," she answered. Paige gave a small smile and turned back to the stone. They were in a cemetery, and before them lay Patricia McCuller's grave, Paige's mother. "You always come here when you're upset," she finished after a beat of silence. Paige said nothing. She was exceptionally good at being quiet. It was one of the reasons why she seemed unapproachable. But she didn't expect the people at school to understand and neither did Paige. It only mattered that she talked to her.

"You're mother doesn't like me 'cause she thinks I'm like him, right?" she asked. Emily settled her chin in the row of Paige's shoulder. She sighed heavily, turning slightly to kiss Paige's neck.

"You'll prove her wrong," she answered, squeezing Paige around the waist, "and besides, she almost witnessed you taking full advantage of her absence, I think she's a little stunned," she finished. "I don't think I would like to walk in on my daughter with someone in between her legs." She chuckled lightly. Paige, sensing the lifted mood, turned in her arms and kissed her soundly on the lips.

"You have a point," she agreed, "If I walked in on our daughter getting some, I don't know what I'd do," Paige smiled cheekily. Emily's mouth opened in mock shock and her eyes narrowed into slits. She swatted Paige's chest.

"If you do anything, I'll just tell her what we were doing at her age," Emily promised. The smile on Paige's face widened. She pulled Emily close, so close that their lips were almost touching.

"You're going to give me a little girl, Fields?" she asked. She smiled and ducked her head in shyness. She leaned against Paige in a sudden hug.

"Right after you give me a little boy," she replied, earning her a toothy grin from Paige.

"Did you talk to your mom?" Paige asked, breaking their intimate moment. Even though the moment was ruined with the question, she didn't pull out of Paige's arms. She sighed out her answer, the frustration apparent on her face.

"Not really," she answered, "I pretty much went to my room after you left. She tried to get me out of the room to talk, but I didn't want to." Paige looked at her sadly.

"You need to talk to her," she told her. Emily sighed. With the absence of her own mother, Paige felt the need to remind her that her own mother was a gift. Not that she needed to be reminded. She loved her mother, but she loved Paige too. She wasn't going to choose.

"I know, but-," she began but was cut off by Paige's kiss.

"No buts," she told her, "you just talk to her. She doesn't like me, but I'm still here. Your mom's not throwing you out so you don't need to worry, okay? Talk to her," she begged. Emily sighed.

"Fine, but only if you let me in your pants," she joked, tugging on a loop of Paige's jeans. Paige chuckled a little.

"Shh, not in front of my mother, she might not approve," Paige joked back, pointing to the tombstone behind them. Emily's smile turned into a frown. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't joke about it Paige," Emily admonished.

"Why not? It's pretty funny," she nodded as if she was agreeing with herself. Emily swatted her chest again, pushing herself out of Paige's arms. "Your mom almost witnessed me ruin you," Paige grinned seductively, pulling Emily close by her shirt. She gave her a soft kiss. "Let's get you home, Fields, talk to your mom," she told her and Emily could only nod.

* * *

Emily walked through the front door, surprising Pam who had thought her daughter had been taking refuge in her bedroom. Her brows furrowed in worry and then frustration. This was exactly the kind of behavior she didn't want Emily exhibiting. It didn't hit her until after their argument that Emily had been lying to her and for a while now. All because of Paige. And if she could admit it, herself too. She thought a lot about what Emily said. Paige was her girlfriend, not just the daughter of a killer. When Emily walked through the door, her temper almost flared once more.

"Where are you coming from?" she asked. Emily stopped at the question and walked into the living room area to sit down in a nearby couch chair.

"I was at the cemetery with Paige," she answered. The answer made her sigh in anguish. She just couldn't get her head around it. But the way that her daughter stood up for Paige and herself, Pam could understand. She had been doing the same thing to Wayne's parents. Wayne. She didn't even know how to even begin cluing him in on the situation. "Mom-," she started, but Pam cut her off.

"No, Emily, you listen," she demanded. Her daughter was effectively silenced. At least she hadn't forgotten how to act around her elders. She guessed Paige hadn't corrupted her that much. "It's not that Paige is a girl… it's that Paige is… Paige," she explained lamely. Emily opened her mouth to argue but Pam put up her hand to quiet her again. "A girl that's been through what she's been through… I just don't see how that's healthy, Emmy," she pointed out, "That kind of trauma is bound to have some emotional damage and that damage can very well effect you." She was hoping that her words would get through to her daughter.

"Do you know why I came back here?" Emily asked rhetorically. And it hit her that she had no idea why. It hit her that if the love Emily claimed to have for Paige is real, then she would have very well stayed out very late or may have never come back at all. "Because Paige wanted me to," she answered. Pam stood and crossed her arms over her chest.

"And if Paige says jump, do you ask "how high?"" she asked angrily. She didn't like the direction this conversation was going.

Emily sighed exasperatingly, "you don't get it."

"What's to get, Emily?" she asked, "I just want you to be aware of how dangerous it could be with someone like Paige," she explained. Emily stood at her words, obvious anger on her face and tears in her eyes.

"Someone like Paige?" she asked incredulously, "you don't even know her!" she yelled. She and Emily had never had many screaming matches, but she would get through to Emily, no matter how hard it'd be. Emily had always been a daddy's girl. Maybe her husband could get through to her. But what did that say about her as a mother. She shook the insecurities from her mind and stared at her daughter. "I snuck out because I knew she'd be at the cemetery. As soon as she saw me, she told me to come back and talk to you," she revealed. Pam was slightly taken aback. "You've misjudged her, mom."

"And so have you," she countered. She sighed when she realized the ridiculousness of that statement. Clearly, Emily knew Paige better than she had. She had no way of knowing what Paige was really like. All her convictions were based on jumped conclusions. But even realizing that didn't curb her apprehension on the subject of Paige. "Emily," she began, "when Nick McCullers was arrested, and it had come to light everything he had done-," she stopped, feeling the tears brim her eye lids. She could remember getting a call from the police station and then Ali's parents. How upset they had been when they found out that Paige's father was the one that had raped and killed Ali. A few days after that, Nick McCullers' home life was thrust into the spotlight. He was abusive to his wife and daughter, more so Paige than Patricia. A week later, Patricia killed herself with Nick's gun. Pam couldn't imagine the pain Paige went through. But she had heard of many cases where the cycle of abuse continued. She didn't want to expose her daughter to any of that.

"She's not like that mom," Emily explained, "she's nothing like her father." Pam didn't know what to say. Her shoulders slumped with defeat as she wiped the brimming tears away.

"Is she getting help?" she asked. Paige was too young to work out issues on her own. She'd feel better if the girl was getting some professional help.

"She's been in therapy ever since it happened," she answered, "And if she needs to talk, she talks to me," she added. Emily shrugged sadly, "she doesn't really have friends."

"I can imagine," Pam nodded. She hypothesized that Paige had anti-social tendencies.

"No, it's not like that," Emily said, as if she had read her mind, "after it happened, all of her friends abandoned her," she explained and suddenly, Pam wanted to reach out to Paige. "Nobody goes near Paige," she finished. Pam nodded.

"What about your friends?" she asked, "Do they like Paige?" Part of her was looking for allies, people who agreed with her that Paige wasn't the best for her daughter, and the other part wanted to know if Paige could find friends in Emily's friends, so she wouldn't be so alone. Emily bit her lip, a sign that she was nervous.

"They don't exactly… know," she answered, "But they think the same thing you do." Pam's brows furrowed. She was confused. "They don't think she's any good."

"Why?" Pam had to ask. Emily's friends would have more valid reasons to sign off on Paige. Maybe they'd give her good enough reasons.

"Well, Spencer won't admit it but she and Paige were bitter rivals since Freshman year. They were on the field hockey team and Paige was a little aggressive. But I've been to a couple of games, and let's just say that Spence isn't exactly cuddly on the field," she answered. Pam almost wanted to laugh. Spencer had always been somewhat intense.

"And Hanna?" she asked.

"One day in freshman year, in the cafeteria, Paige accidentally knocked something on her dress. Hanna blew it off until Paige's dad was arrested. She told everyone that she just knew she didn't like Paige, and you can't really argue with Hanna once she's made up her mind. And Aria doesn't really talk about Paige, much." Pam nodded to show Emily that she was listening. There were no convincing arguments from Emily's friends. They all stuck with the status quo.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. She wasn't well-versed in the art of apologizing, especially not to her daughter.

"Look, Mom, I get it. After Nick was arrested, I wrote off Paige too. Ali was one of my best friends and I loved her, so of course I was angry, but when I actually met her, she wasn't this monster everyone made her out to be. Nick is the monster, not Paige," Emily said. Pam couldn't argue with that. Perhaps Paige was a nice young girl who took care of her daughter. Perhaps Paige was good for Emily.

"Maybe…" she inhaled to reassure herself about asking this, "Maybe Paige could have dinner with us, one day soon; does Paige like dinner?" Emily brightened at her question and ran the small space between them to hug her. Pam was enveloped in a crushing hug.

"Of course she likes dinner," Emily confirmed against her neck. When they pulled away, Pam kissed her daughter's cheek.

"I just want you to be safe, okay?" she told her, "I'll give Paige a chance."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Emily exclaimed, hugging her mother once more.

When they parted again, Pam looked seriously at her daughter, "We should have dinner soon," she said, "I think I need to have a little talk with you about having sex in this house, and I want her there," she finished, effectively wiping the smile from Emily's face. She walked into the kitchen with Emily on her heels.

"Mom, no, Mom, you can't!"

* * *

"Hey," Emily greeted once she was sure Paige was on the phone. She showered and settled into bed once she was done eating dinner. She just couldn't wait to call Paige.

"Hey, judging by the sound of your voice, I'm guessing you had a good talk with your mom," Paige said back. Emily burrowed into the coolness of her pillow. Paige's scent still lingered there. She could hardly contain her excitement, though. Her mom was going to give Paige the chance she deserved.

"I did," she answered, "and a great dinner, too." She heard the other line shift and then Paige was back.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I had to close and lock my door," she explained.

"Where's your Aunt?" Emily asked. Paige's maternal Aunt and her husband moved into Paige's home and assumed guardianship over Paige. They were nice. Very personable and comedic. They were a young couple, most likely in their thirties. They treated Paige like she was their teenaged daughter and brought a joy the house had never seen.

"Entertaining her husband, _very_, _very_, loudly," Paige answered and Emily couldn't help but laugh. "Sometimes I think they have the door open, but nope, she's just that loud," Paige joked. Emily couldn't help her laughter.

"You would think her being pregnant would make her slow down," Emily added, making Paige chuckle.

"We McClays don't ever stop," Paige replied and waited until Emily's laughter died down. McClay. It was Paige's mother's maiden name. Paige didn't want to change it. She was a McCullers. She had once told her that she was going to reinvent what that name meant.

"Speaking of 'entertaining', my mom sort of, kind of wants to talk to you about that," she admitted, the mirth in her voice obvious.

"What?" Paige asked, "Talk to me?" she asked.

"Well, to the both of us, but as soon as she brings it up, I'm checking out of that conversation," Emily explained, laughing hard into the receiver. She could just imagine Emily's mother talking to Paige.

"Nah uh, Fields, you're not leaving me alone in that," she responded, "does she want me to come over tomorrow?" she asked. Emily calmed against the pillow and snuggled into her bunched comforter.

"She wants me to invite you to dinner," she answered, "Tomorrow, are you busy?"

"I just have therapy tomorrow," Paige answered, "never too busy for the Fields," she quipped. Emily rolled her eyes. "What time should I come?"

"Anytime, I'm guessing after your therapy. You'll be with me, right?" Emily quizzed.

"Weren't you doing brunch with your friends?" Paige reminded, "And then some power-hour shopping, per Hanna's request?" Emily gasped in remembrance.

"Oh my goodness, I forgot," she exclaimed. "I'll text them now, I'll just can-," she began but was cut off.

"No, you can't cancel," Paige told her, "You should hang out with your friends. And plus, it'll take me a while to figure out what to wear to dinner." Emily frowned. She wanted to spend more time with Paige. It really had been a long two weeks and her mother busting through her bedroom door, catching them in the act seriously took away from their 'alone' time. But she had made these plans with her friends, the week before. They'd be upset if she bailed on them.

"I think…" she started, "I think we should tell them," she finished. It was a great idea. If she could finally come clean with them, she and Paige wouldn't have to hide anymore. Her friends couldn't take it any worse than her mother did.

"Are you sure, Em? I'm not pressuring you," Paige said. Paige had wanted her to tell them for so long. She encouraged her not to be afraid and told her that she wasn't going to run away. Since her mother now knew, maybe it was time for her friends to know.

"I'm sure," she yawned.

"If you're sure, Em," Paige replied, "Get some sleep, baby." Emily shook her head as if Paige could see.

"I don't want to," she said defiantly. Talking to Paige on the phone always had her at ease. That combined with Paige's scent and the softness of the bed, she was usually falling asleep by this time when Paige was on the phone.

"Sleep tight, baby," Paige told her. She nodded, humming the response back to Paige. "I love you," she said.

"Love you too," she replied, letting the phone hang up. She plugged in the charger and set it on her night stand. She couldn't wait for the family dinner.


	3. Chapter 3

**I really want to thank all of you for reviewing, following and favoriting, including the anonymous reviews. I am so grateful for all of your kind words. Thank you very much. I can admit that this chapter is a bit of a filler, but I have more in mind. Enjoy this chapter and please review! Thank you!**

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Her hand fit so perfectly in Paige's. She wished her mother would see that. She wished her friends would see that. It fit so perfectly, she thought as she stared down at their joined hands. She had greeted Paige outside because her mother was preparing dinner and her friends were huddled in the living room area waiting for them.

Her friends found out about Paige.

The trip at the mall was cut short because she couldn't keep her fingers off her phone. She had gotten so good at hiding this from them; had gotten so good at keeping this secret for months. Perhaps she wanted to be found out, after all, that was the plan, right? But she had been so excited, practically skipping through the section of underwear thinking about what Paige might like to see her in. She couldn't contain the blush, or her fingers for that matter. She had taken a picture of a bra and panty set and sent it to Paige.

It was Aria that caught the photography and Spencer that had caught the smile. She tried lying, telling them that she'd try to find it online for a cheaper price. Aria almost bought it until Spencer folded her arms across her chest and gave her a serious look. Sometimes, Spencer was just like her mother.

Spencer hadn't believed her. And it didn't help once Hanna thrust herself into the loop.

"I know that look Em, I used to have it all the time," Hanna argued, "you're sending it to some girl, who is she?" And it didn't help that she looked so guilty.

"Why are you hesitating?" Aria asked, "We agreed not to lie to each other," she reasoned. Aria was right. They had agreed. They had agreed once they found out about Aria and Mr. Fitz; when they found out about Hanna's pregnancy scare and when they found out Spencer had been sleeping with the mysterious Toby Cavanaugh. She was the only one untruthful.

Spencer had then asked to see her phone. Her heart dropped at the request. She had had so many private conversations with Paige on that phone. She sighed heavily before depositing her phone into her pocket. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively before telling them the truth.

"Paige," she started, "I sent that picture to Paige," she finished. Her friends looked at her in confusion before fully realizing what she had just said.

"Paige as in Paige McCullers?" Hanna asked first. Emily nodded slightly. It was now or never. She hoped things wouldn't change, just as Paige said they wouldn't. Paige told her, one night when they were alone, bare skin and tangled limbs, that no matter what her friends said or did, they loved her and would want to see her happy. She felt like an idiot for even doubting that because one, they weren't the ones dating Paige and two, she _was_ happy. They should want to see her happy.

"How long?" Spencer asked.

"When were you gonna tell us?" Aria quizzed, simultaneously. She shrugged to the latter question, not quite meeting Spencer's hard eyes.

"You mean "Killer Cullers"?" Hanna asked, not quite getting over the fact that she had been dating Paige behind their backs. But judging by the surprised smile on her face, she was reacting better than the other two.

"Hanna!" Spencer half-yelled.

"What?" Hanna yelled back. They were now causing a scene in the lingerie store.

"Will you guys keep it down?!" Aria admonished. She turned back to Emily; her features weren't all that pleasant. "Were you gonna keep it from us, forever?" she asked.

"No!" she answered immediately, "no, I was going to tell you sometime this week," she admitted. Hanna smiled, seemingly pleased enough with that answer. "I meant to tell you but… I didn't think you'd react well enough," she explained.

"Did Paige give you that explanation?" Spencer asked, her eyes narrowed into slits.

"No, Paige wanted me to tell you guys in the beginning," she answered.

"And when was the beginning?" Spencer shot back. Emily sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping in defeat. It was now or never.

"We've been together since July," she announced. Aria's eyes widened and Spencer's forehead wrinkled.

"Eight months?" Spencer asked, "You've been lying to us for eight months?" And before Emily could say anything, Spencer spoke again, "Emily, her father killed Ali, our best friend," she exclaimed. Emily could see a store attendant walk towards them.

"Don't worry about them… they're fighting over this…," Hanna lied to the attendant, looking at the panties they were near, "ugly piece of fabric," she said with disgust, "seriously, who designed these things?" she asked incredulously. The attendant, believing Hanna, shrugged apologetically and walked away.

"I'm sorry I've been lying," Emily declared, "but can't you see why I've kept it from you?" she asked. Spencer didn't give a reply.

"We're supposed to be the ones you trust, Em," Aria told her. "We promised to tell each other everything," the sadness in her voice made Emily's heart ache.

"I know," she stated, "And I'm sorry, I am."

"Is there anything else you're hiding?" Spencer asked. Emily wouldn't take much more of her attitude. She wondered if keeping this secret would break their friendship.

"No, I'm not," she asked. There was a lull. Emily stood facing three of her best friends. She wanted to cry. She wanted to call Paige and tell her that things have changed; tell her that her friends weren't who she thought they were. And that of course, they had a right to be angry. But then, Hanna surged forward and hugged her, making her forget all about her doubts.

"Sorry Em," she hugged her tightly, "you just ambushed us with this," she finished. And then surprisingly, Aria joined in the hug. Spencer wasn't that far behind and Emily could still sense some hesitation. Here they were, hugging in a lingerie store, oddly enough. But she hadn't lost her friends.

"So… you're shacking up with Killer Cullers?" Hanna asked, breaking the intimate moment. They all pulled apart.

"Can you not call her that?" she asked. Paige knew what people referred to her as. She told her that it didn't bother her, but Emily knew it did. And even if it hadn't, it bothered Emily. Paige was not a killer.

"Sorry Em," Hanna apologized, smiling happily at her, "So when do we get to meet her?" she asked. Emily's eye widened. Meet her? She hadn't expected Hanna to ask that, or _even want_ to meet Paige. Emily shrugged her answer.

"My Mom's meeting her today," she admitted, "We're having dinner."

"That's perfect!" Hanna exclaimed, "We could meet her there too, like a whole family dinner," she finished. All of a sudden, a bout of apprehension took over her. Paige was ready to meet her mother and believed she was ready to meet her friends, but both at the same time? That had disaster written all over it. She hoped Spencer would object and announce that she already had plans and Aria too. But they seemed to like the idea more and more.

"I want to meet her too, you know, meet her formally," Aria announced. Emily was already digging for her phone.

"I'll tell my mom," she said, searching for her mother's number in her phone.

That was how they got here. She was holding Paige's hand as she stepped through the door of the house. Her mother was delighted that her friends wouldn't be coming over; that they would be spending the evening with her. It took off the pressure, Emily guessed. But it put more pressure on Paige. She could tell by the way Paige released her hand from hers momentarily to wipe them on her jeans. She was nervous and Emily didn't know whether it was adorable or a foreshadow to the disaster dinner.

"You okay?" she whispered into her ear. Paige shrugged.

"No matter what, I'm here with you," she answered, "but I still want them to like me." Emily couldn't contain her smile. Maya wouldn't have cared. She straightened and berating herself for comparing Paige and Maya.

"You look gorgeous, by the way, not that I'm surprised," she complimented, kissing Paige's cheek in assurance.

"You think so?" she asked, "I thought it might be too casual," she said looking down at her jeans and button down blouse. Emily shook her head, squeezing Paige's hand when she tried to disentangle their hands to wipe hers on her jeans once more.

"You look perfect," Emily told her. They settled in the living room area, where Hanna had been flipping through a magazine, and Aria had been texting Spencer, seemingly. Spencer looked up at their presence and stood.

"I got nothing on you, though," Paige commented, giving her a thorough onceover. Emily blushed at the attention.

"McCullers," she greeted accompanied by a nod of her head.

"Spencer," Paige began, "hey." Great start! It was the best she knew Spencer could do. She was still skeptical about Paige, Emily knew, but she was here, making an effort and that was all Emily could ask for.

"Hi, Paige!" Hanna greeted with a wave. Paige smiled slightly at Hanna and Aria.

"Hey Hanna," she greeted back, "Aria, hey." It was beginning to get more and more awkward.

"I'll tell my mom you're here," Emily told her, kissing her cheek and releasing their hands. She didn't even have to look to know that Paige was beginning to withdraw, shoving her hands into her pockets. Pam was delighted to know that Paige had made it on time. She was almost done making dinner and told Emily she would let her know when to wash up.

When Emily made it back to the living room, Paige was sandwiched between Aria and Hanna, but was watching as Hanna talked on and on. She stared dead ahead at Hanna, looking more and more uncomfortable as she absorbed the gossip spewing from Hanna's mouth. Emily thought it was adorable. She wondered if Paige remembered what it was like to have friends.

"So what's your favorite color?" Hanna asked after taking a deep breath.

"Uh, Red," Paige answered.

"Really?" she asked, "That's Spencer's favorite color, right Spence?" They had all looked at Spencer.

"Not particularly," Spencer answered, "I find that it goes well with neutral colors like white and black," she finished. Spencer's unwillingness to concede and join the conversation was noted. It had killed the conversation.

"What's your mom making?" Aria asked, shrugging off glare from Spencer. Emily would have to talk to her later.

"Steak, cauliflower and chicken rice," Emily answered, "Is that okay, baby?" she asked to Paige. Hanna squealed in excitement at the term of endearment and Aria blushed. They had never heard Emily talk like that to anyone.

"That's fine," Paige smiled, but then it vanished when she sighed heavily before speaking, "I just… I just wanted to say to everyone that I love Emily, with everything. I know that you really don't know… and that my… my dad, what he did, could make you hesitant to trust me but I'd lay down my life before I let anything happen to Emily," She admitted. Emily couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face.

"Aww," Hanna couldn't contain it.

"And I'm willing to do whatever I can to make sure you see that," Paige announced, directly to Spencer. She had picked up on her mood, it seemed. "You too," she said turning to Aria. Aria smiled at her for once, letting her guard if even for a moment.

"Girls, it's time for dinner," Pam announced. Everyone went about washing their hands. Emily was second to last, right before Paige. Once everyone had washed their hands, Emily pulled Paige into the bathroom. She kissed her softly on the lips.

"I love you," she said, pulling Paige in for another kiss.

"I love you too," Paige replied, "more than you would ever know," she admitted. Emily nodded because she had felt the same exact way. She rested her forehead on Paige's. "You're out," she told her, "you're out to your friends; to your mom." Emily chuckled, dipping her head for a kiss.

"You passed test one," Emily informed, "If you can stand my mom talking to you about sex, then we'll all find out if you're a keeper or not," she remarked, laughing as Paige groaned.

"Having the sex talk with my Aunt is weird enough," Paige murmured against her cheek.

"What?"

"Yeah, apparently, Emily Fields is very loud," she laughed, "but I told you, she has cat ears," they both laughed but was interrupted by a clearing throat. They looked up at Pam and suddenly Emily was blushing. She couldn't catch a break. She was sure her mother heard Paige's comment about her being loud, and if that weren't weird enough, her mother found them embracing. At this rate, Paige would fail her mother's test, just by Emily not being able to keep her hands to herself. Paige washed her hands quickly, under Pam's supervision and made her way to the dining area.

Tonight would be a long night.


	4. Chapter 4

**And here goes the awkward conversation you've been wanting. This chapter is short, I know, but I have a few more chapters to write. Also, I would also like to remind you all that this story is rated M for a reason, if you know what I mean. And it's not because of this chapter, but it's coming up soon. Anyway, please enjoy the chapter. Thank you all for giving me feedback and please review!**

* * *

Emily is sure that she's never seen her girlfriend so pink. Dinner is wonderful, at least that's what Hanna keeps telling her mother. She had only eaten a scoopful of rice when her mother cleared her throat and began speaking.

"Now… I didn't expect guests, but that shouldn't get in the way of speaking to you, Paige," she starts. Emily drops her fork, her mouth open wide when her mother addresses Paige. "I am… aware… of your feelings for my daughter, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't be treated as if Emily was dating a boy," she finishes. By then, Paige stops her eating; looking squarely into her mother's eyes and Emily wants to die.

Emily chose to ignore Aria's and Spencer's snickering, but she can't exactly ignore Hanna's enthusiastic chewing. The blonde seems to be interested in whatever her mother has to say, her cheeks stuffed with rice and cauliflower and her eyes are traveling back and forth between Pam and Paige and Emily just wants this night to end.

"Mom, please," Emily begins, taking one of Paige's hands under the table. If her friends hadn't made her run, then perhaps her mother will.

"No, Emmy, I have to say this," Pam countered. "Now I know that girls… have urges, but I must stress how important it is to stay safe," she added. Emily looked at her mother with wide eyes. She's never been so embarrassed. She squeezes Paige's hand, trying to gauge some kind of reaction from her. There's nothing. Paige is still looking at her mother as if this were casual conversation.

"Okay, I think we get it, Mom," Emily interrupts.

"No, no, I think you should elaborate, Pam," Spencer throws out, giving Emily a mischievous grin. Emily figured that Spencer was getting her back for being dishonest, but she can imagine the revenge is less satisfying because it's only really affecting her, not Paige.

"I did some research," Pam announces, "and there are female condoms that you could buy from the-," and Pam can't finish her sentence because Spencer, Aria and Hanna are laughing and Emily is groaning in embarrassment. "Emmy, please listen," Pam requests.

"Uh, Mrs. Fields… I… we have those," Paige said suddenly, "we're aware that in any relationship, we have to be safe. It's a respect to you and myself as well," Paige said. Emily looked at her girlfriend with wide, surprised eyes. She and Paige didn't use any kind of condom. If Paige was a boy, she'd be pregnant by now, probably with their third child. It was the same with Paige, too. She couldn't count how many times her fingers have disappeared inside Paige.

Pam nodded at Paige's words and cleared her throat once more. She was just as uncomfortable as everyone else. "I would also like it if you two didn't…" she trailed off, not quite comfortable with saying what she wanted, "do that in this house," and at that, Emily wanted to protest. But she had been pushing it by even trying to stop this conversation. Paige nodded, giving her mother a winning grin.

"I can… we can respect that," Paige promised. Pam smiled happily, looking down into her plate. Emily's appetite waned. She pushed away her plate and folded her arms. This wasn't a time to have a tantrum, she knew, but she couldn't help but feel like everyone was against her.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Pam excused herself and went to answer it. Most likely it was her father. There was a silence at the table. Hanna was almost done her plate, and Emily barely started. The blonde looked up suddenly, searching the room for what Emily thought was her mother, and then looked at her and Paige.

"I bet Emily tops," she grinned. Emily gasped in surprise for her audacity.

"Hanna!" both she and Aria yelled.

"No way, Paige tops, hands down," Spencer argued from across the table.

"What?" Hanna shook her head, her brow lifted in protest, "My girl Emily here is a sneaky freak, right Em?" she asked. Emily couldn't believe her ears. "No offense, Paige, but she's not… active enough, if you know what I mean?" and Emily can tell that Hanna is trying hard to convey what she means in the nicest way, but Emily just wants this to end.

"Uh, guys, I'm pretty sure It's about pitching and catching, not really topping and bottoming," Aria says from her corner and Emily wonders why she ever decided to join in to make this work.

"Just because Paige is not socially active doesn't mean she doesn't top," Spencer argued.

"Pitch," Aria corrected.

"Oh God," Emily muttered under her breath.

"Yeah, whatever, pitch, but I've seen her on the field. She's physically active," Spencer corrected. And to her surprise, Paige is laughing, trying hard to keep her food in her mouth. Emily is not so sure she wants to ruin this anymore. For once, Paige is… at ease. She isn't staring intensely or withdrawn. She's laughing and the sight makes her smile… until Hanna says it.

"Okay, if Em doesn't finger pitch, then she definitely pitching with a strap on, right Em?" The smile disappears from her face, then and Paige goes off in a new round of laughs. Spencer shakes her head, her arms folded across her chest.

"There's no way," she insists, "Look at Paige," she tells Hanna, "Em is probably too far gone from Paige's pitching that she couldn't handle even using a strap on; she's probably on her back for most of it," Spencer says as-a-matter-of-factly. Aria, from her corner, shrugs and nods as if Spencer's reasoning made sense and Emily can't believe two things: that her friends are talking about her sex life – one they didn't even know she had – and that Spencer is defending Paige.

"Or on top…," Aria offers, "or on her knees," she finishes. And it's so unlike them. She wonders briefly if they planned this to embarrass her and Paige, but Paige is laughing, and in a not-so-subtle manner. They wouldn't be getting the desired effect. Spencer nods at Aria's input.

"Em, tell them who-," Hanna's cut off by Emily standing.

"Guys… we are not… talking about this… not when my mother's in the other room and certainly not in front of Paige," Emily demands. It quiets her friends and calms down a mirthful Paige. She sits, taking Paige's hand under the table again and tries to calm down herself.

"Welcome to this ratpack, Paige," Aria breaks the silence. Paige, smiling gratefully, nods.

"Thanks," she replies and turns to Emily, "What do you mean, not in front of me?" she asks.

"Sorry Paige, sex is kind of a thing we talk about," Hanna offers as an explanation. Paige looks confused so Emily offers a better one.

"We've always kind of… talked about who we're dating, alone, when it's just the four of us," Emily explained nervously. "It's a girls' thing… not saying that you're not a girl… just…," she trailed off, unsure of how to fix that.

"No, I get it, Em. There's a difference between best friends and significant others," Paige says and Emily is grateful that Paige understands.

"And Em has eight months' worth of things to tell us if you suck in bed," Hanna adds.

"Hanna!"

"What?"


	5. Chapter 5

I told you all that this story was rated M for a reason, in which it is and this chapter is why. Thank you for all who have read/favorited/reviewed. It means a lot to me. Thank you! There are sectioned parts to this chapter, so any of you that do no want to read the rated M section, I have a warning in the introduction to that section. Thank you! Enjoy! Review!

* * *

She seriously needed some alone time with Paige. She was becoming restless and time was running out. It would be that time of month soon and that was a whole week of crazy hormones and missed opportunities.

Her mother had been vigilant the night of the embarrassing dinner. They decided to have a sleepover and Paige was forced to sleep on the floor, closest to the door, with nothing but their friends between them. Aria had made it clear that any time of the night she absolutely did NOT want to hear anything. She had spent the whole night in her bed, texting Paige on the other side of the room.

She couldn't even get a proper good morning kiss. And Paige had to leave. She was starting to regret being _out_ with Paige.

She revisited that regret Monday morning, at school. Hanna had sneakily captured their good morning/goodbye kiss and put it on Facebook. They were out to the whole school now. She was sure that Paige hadn't known why she was suddenly treated like someone popular. She didn't have a Facebook so she couldn't be tagged in the photo but suddenly, that meant that Paige wasn't off-limits anymore.

It was endearing that Paige didn't know what it was like to be flirted with. Endearing, but also infuriating. Because now that Paige was somehow cool, everyone was talking to her. And everyone included flirtatious girls. Anyone could imagine her surprise as she walked towards her locker to see a girl talking to Paige. More like Paige explaining something while the girl smiled up at Paige coyly and twirled the ends of her hair. Paige shied away from any touching, looking at the girl quizzically when she reached to touch her hand. It was only that much Emily could be happy about. The fact that she couldn't recognize blatant flirting had her angry. And it wasn't Paige's fault, she knew. Paige didn't exactly recognize flirting at the beginning of their relationship either.

She never wanted to admit this, but she was a jealous lover. A part of her just wanted to walk over there and mark her territory but she knew that kind of public display would cause a frenzy within the school and her relationship.

She walked toward her locker and smiled when Paige's words died on her lips and she looked at her absently. Paige offered her a small smile. Emily grabbed her hand, much to Paige's surprise, and leaned in to give her a soft kiss.

"Hey baby," she greeted after they pulled apart, hoping that the girl that had been talking to her girlfriend had disappeared. Paige looked at her imploringly, silently asking her what had gotten into her and where had this newfound celebrity status come from.

"Hey," she greeted back lamely. Emily had only found it cute. Paige was actually socially awkward. She wondered how the girl managed friends even before the news got out about her father. Emily was pleased to see that the girl had left. "Hey, where did the girl go?" she asked, "She was in my calculus class and asked me if I kn-," she was cut off by Emily.

"I'm pretty sure she had already known the answer to whatever question she asked," Emily interrupted. Suddenly, there was a wrinkle in Paige's forehead.

"Then why would she as-," Paige asked but was cut off again.

"She was flirting with you, Paige," Emily informed. Paige looked at her with disbelief before shaking her head in doubt. "Yes," Emily stated, nodding her head, "she was." It took a while for Paige to catch on. Emily suspected that Paige didn't actually believe that the girl was flirting, but decided to trust Emily's judgment anyway.

"She's not even my type," Paige shrugged. Emily smiled, opening her locker to grab her books.

"And what's your type?" Emily asked, prying out a book from her locker.

"It's not exactly what… it's who," Paige explained, "I have a girlfriend, but I'm sure you don't know her," she nodded, self-assured in her acting. Emily smiled, knowing that soon she would get a boat load of compliments.

"Who is she?"

"Her name's Emily Fields," Paige began, putting her hand down flat on Emily's head, "she's about this tall, tanned skin," she continued. "She's a swimmer." Emily nodded, as Paige described her factually.

"I need to talk to you," Emily smiled, pulling Paige in by her shirt to give her a kiss.

"About what?"

"Well… I can't be here all the time to chase away girls who want to ride the Paige train, so I want you to do it for me," Emily requested, biting her lip in hopes of Paige taking it the right way. Some people would say that it was no big deal; that she was reaching to cause a problem. That's why she wanted to talk about it. Their relationship had already been tested privately and now it was time for them to face the attention of her peers, publically, especially considering her own social standing.

"But _you_ don't even ride the Paige train," Paige joked easily causing Emily to laugh. It was easy for her joke to Emily. Everyone else was the problem. "But we'll talk, I promise. My house, after school?" Emily nodded. She knew exactly why Paige chose her house. They seriously needed alone time and she was glad she wasn't the only one thinking that. Paige grabbed her hand and walked with her to the cafeteria. "Now," she began, "I don't distinctly remember telling anyone about us or _talking_ to anyone, for that matter. You want to tell me why I'm such a hot topic right now?"

"Hanna put a picture of us on Facebook and now everyone knows," Emily explained, "I hope that's okay?" Paige shrugged. She didn't look angry, just pensive.

"Is that okay with you?" she asked in response. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable, don't worry about me," she told her. Emily squeezed Paige's hand in hers. It was the little things like that that turned her on. Paige caring about her; Paige putting her before herself.

"I'm okay with it," she answered, "I just want everyone to know that you're mine and that you're off limits."

"Well," Paige said, "I know a few semi-public places that we could get caught in if that's what you really want," Paige offered. Emily couldn't fight off the mischievous smile creeping onto her face.

Who needed lunch anyway?

* * *

**This part is rated M**

"Does this mean," Paige started, kissing a trail down her bare back, "that I could leave marks, now?" she asked. And just the idea made her gush with want. She was ready to give Paige anything she wanted as long as this teasing ceased. Paige was driving her crazy with kisses and licks, with even the occasional nips. They had just gotten finished talking about flirting and girls. She had made sure to tell Paige that she didn't want anything to come between them.

"I don't care," Emily whined, "Paige, please." She was on her front, completely naked. Paige was on her back, her skin on hers hot and smooth. Paige's nipples were hard at her back while her lips skated across Emily's neck.

"All fours baby," Paige whispered hotly in her ear. Emily moaned, clutching the sheets before releasing and assuming the position Paige wanted. It was Emily's favorite one. She situated herself on her hands and knees, her hair spilling down the sides of her neck. She felt Paige's hand at her lower back and arched so that it dipped. Paige palmed her ass and squeezed, making her moan out loud.

She didn't think they were at the point of their relationship for toys, not yet anyway, but in this position, she'd like the slight ass-play and what Paige did so skillfully. Paige unhinged her, so-to-speak, left her begging for more.

Paige was bent at the knee behind her. She let her hand fall back and then surge forward to slap Emily's ass. Emily's hips jumped and she yelped. Paige smoothed the irritated skin found there and then slapped again. Emily mewled; taking a pillow and setting it against her face drown out the sounds as Paige continued to spank her. Her insides clenched with every hit and her body tensed time and time again. If Paige continued, she'd come hard and end both their fun before it even began. It wouldn't be the first time.

Suddenly, Paige stopped and rested her hands on her hips. She let Paige's fingers slide against her sides, up onto her back and stop at her shoulders. Her right hand rested while the left buried itself into Emily's hair and grip the tresses at its roots. She pulled firmly, satisfied with Emily's keening moan. They were flush against each other now, skin hot with sweat and arousal.

Paige tucked her chin into Emily's neck and turned slightly to whisper, "You're a mess," as she felt down Emily's inner thighs with her left hand. Her right hand cupped Emily's right breast and squeezed. Emily nodded her response, closing her eyes to better appreciate the sensations of Paige's left hand that had nestled teasingly before her clit.

"I love you," Paige whispered before dropping a kiss to her shoulder. Paige let two fingers trek down to Emily's clit, to which the girl gasped and moaned, and then down inside of her. She curled both fingers and withdrew them. She surveyed the fingers, smirking before she spoke, "Look baby, they're drenched."

Emily looked down at Paige's wet fingers and grunted in frustration. She was done with the teasing. She sighed heavily before pushing herself against Paige's front. She let her left hand find the back of Paige's neck and dug the tiny nails of fingers into the skin there. Paige hissed in pain, but Emily hadn't cared.

"Paige, if you don't put your f-," the demand died into a loud moan as Paige obeyed immediately. She curled her fingers once more, effectively making Emily lose some of her grip on her neck.

"Roll your hips baby," Paige requested and immediately, Emily had done what she was asked. Paige added another finger as she slid her hand in and out. Emily's moans filled the room at once and then were accompanied by Paige's breathy grunts, as she had begun to roll her hips along Emily's ass. For Emily, the dual sensations were breaking her in two, especially with Paige's occasional thumb thumbing at her clit. And for Paige, she was getting lost in the sounds of her Emily's breathy moans and wanton pleas along with the sensation of Emily's ass rubbing against her own clit.

They moved in sync. Emily rolled her hips faster and with her free hand, flicked at her nipple quicker. Paige had matched that pace, sliding her hand faster and faster in accordance to the frequency of Emily's moans.

Paige had come first. The swell of Emily's ass against her clit had her unraveling. And when she had finished coming, her girlfriend was next. She slid her fingers deeper into Emily and scissored them before resting her thumb squarely on Emily's clit. Emily shook with her orgasm, trembling in Paige's arms before falling weakly onto the bed. She was so spent. It was very much worth the two weeks that had gone by without touching each other.

Emily found sleep easily, her mind and body exhausted. She just wanted to rest a little before she had to go home.

* * *

Paige woke her when her mother called. Emily hadn't even heard her own phone ring, which is why Pam called Paige. She had sounded worried but there was no mistaking the anger in her voice. Pam was angry Emily hadn't called. Pam was _also_ angry that Emily was over her girlfriend's house doing things she didn't even want to think about her daughter doing. Emily promised that she was on her way.

As she slowly put on her clothes, Paige watched.

"Go to prom with me?" Paige asked suddenly. Emily looked up from the sock in her hand at her girlfriend. Paige was naked under the comforter she loosely wrapped herself in. Her hair was out and around her shoulders. She'd looked hopeful and only slightly withdrawn. Paige looked so vulnerable.

"Of course, baby," Emily answered, "Did you think I would say no?" she asked. Paige shrugged her answer. "You know, prom is in May, right?" That was in a month if you didn't count the little bit of March they had left. Paige shrugged again.

"I just want you to say yes now," Paige replied, "So I can get a head start on what to wear and stuff like that. I want you to like whatever I'm wearing," she told her.

"I'm sure I'd like you in anything," Emily admitted, "Even your birthday suit," she joked, earning her a laugh from Paige.

"When I ask you tomorrow, will you say yes?" Paige asked. Emily nodded. "And the next day?" Emily nodded again.

"Paige, I'm not going anywhere, unless you keep letting other girls flirt with you with you," she informed, earning Emily a pillow to the face.

"That's a hurt piece, Fields," she laughed, lunging off the bed to grab Emily. She only felt safest with Emily in her arms.

"Paige, if you don't put any clothes on or stop hugging me, I won't leave on time and my mom _really_ won't trust you," she joked. Paige quickly detached herself from a laughing Emily and picked up the pillow she had thrown at Emily and hit her again.

"Not fair, Em!"


	6. Chapter 6

**This is a Paily story. And as much as I know that there are and always will be Ups and Downs in their relationship, this story here is illustrating how _epic_ their love is. I can admit, I have not always been a Paily fan because I've just entered this fandom, but I can assure you that I came for Lindsey Shaw and stayed for the Paily. Anyway, this chapter is a bit... darker (only a bit) than the other ones. Enjoy! Review!**

**Also, the story is ending soon.**

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Her friends always had a way of getting into her head, especially Spencer. She was always the one to question everything. She knew Spencer was protective, but sometimes, it put a strain on their relationship. Just like now. Spencer was sitting across from her in Spencer's kitchen. She was already done half her math worksheet before she looked up and asked:

"Where's Paige?"

"Uh…" Emily began, looking up from her English assignment, "She's at the cemetery," she answered before looking back down at her paper. She did better writing her essays out before typing them. There was a quietness surrounding them that Emily welcomed. She loved doing her homework in Spencer's company more than any of her other friends. Spencer was quiet and talked a little but always offered her help. Hanna liked to hum and sing and Aria didn't put her phone down.

"Does she go there often?" Spencer asked, breaking the silence around them. Emily dropped her pen before looking up at Spencer. She shrugged her answer when she saw that Spencer wasn't looking at her.

"Well… it's her mom, so I guess…" she trailed off. She wasn't exactly sure why she and Spencer was having this conversation but she chalked it up to Spencer's curiosity.

"Is she…" Spencer began, squinting her eyes to search her words carefully, Emily presumed, "Is she okay?"

"She told me that she was okay," Emily answered, completely abandoning her homework, "Today her mother would be 48, so Paige is paying a visit," she explained. Paige left for the cemetery two hours ago, but that was completely normal. Emily never questioned it because it wasn't her place. She figured that Paige loved her mother, still, and so she visited her grave often.

"How do you know?" Spencer asked. Emily's brow furrowed.

"Know what?"

"That she's okay?" Spencer replied, "How do you know she's not lying about being okay?" Her homework was momentarily abandoned as well as she kept Emily's attention.

"Why would Paige lie?" Emily asked. Emily searched her mind for any reasons why Paige would lie to her but came up with nothing. They didn't lie to each other. And if Paige couldn't talk about something with her, then she talked to her therapist, or at least that's what Paige promised. But why would she lie?

"Em, I think a girl like Paige would lie to protect people she loves. She would tell you that she was okay so you wouldn't worry," Spencer explained. Emily shook her head in doubt. Paige was fine. She didn't need to worry. Sure, she'd seen Paige at her worst, so there would be no reason to hide now. She had seen Paige's worst last June, when they had formally met.

* * *

Paige had been panting after a harsh run, her lip swollen and bloodied. She rested near a tree, holding herself up to keep balance. Emily was walking by, her arms crossed over her chest to generate some kind of warmth. The day had been hot and so had the party she was just attending. She had no idea how cold it'd be by nightfall so her short jean skirt and her tight tank top wasn't the best choice of clothing. She had decided to leave despite her friends' protests. Her car was home because she had hitched a ride with Hanna, who'd been drunkenly caught up in her boyfriend, Caleb.

"Hey, are you okay?" Emily asked, taking in the sight of the heaving girl. Paige looked up briefly before looking down at the plot of the tree. She felt as if she would throw up.

"It's fine," Paige heaved, trying her best to compose herself. She settled and sat against the trunk of the tree. She didn't care if it was dirty because she had already tussled in the dirt a few moments before.

"It's not fine," Emily insisted, "You're bleeding," she pointed out. Paige looked glared at her from her position on the ground.

"It's nothing to worry your pretty little head about," Paige promised. It was only then did Emily take in the bruises on Paige's face. She wasn't quite sure what to say really. Paige was a shadow. After news got out about her family, she did her best to disappear. Of course, it was easy because everyone so readily threw her away. But in this moment, Emily felt for her.

"Here," Emily said, digging in her skirt pocket. She pulled a small wad of tissue. She offered it to Paige, who had eyed it suspiciously before taking it. Emily watched as she nursed her lip. She looked around to figure out where she had been. They were outside of a gated cemetery. Why was Paige here?

"Thank you," Paige spoke quietly. Emily briefly wondered who had been at the McCullers household now that Nick McCullers was in jail and Paige's mother was dead. She bit her lip in contemplation before asking Paige a question.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked. She half expected Paige to tell her to leave or that it was none of her business.

"Visiting my mom," Paige shrugged, licking over the spruced wound on her lip. "What are you doing out here?"

Emily looked around. She knew her way home from here. She told herself that if she kept her head down, no one would bother her. Rosewood was a small town, but at night, it was scary. "I just came from Rachel Orin's party," she answered.

"By yourself?" Paige asked incredulously and slowly stood on her feet. Emily saw the way Paige grimaced at her movements and wondered about the wounds and bruises she _didn't_ see. The ones Paige kept hidden. She nodded at the question.

"I know my way," she told Paige, watching the other girl dust off her pants.

"Let's go," Paige said, walking forward, trying hard to straighten her gait. Emily could see her limp but it was clear that Paige didn't want it to be acknowledged.

"Where are we going?" Emily asked, following Paige. A part of her couldn't believe Paige's audacity.

"I'm walking you home," Paige answered. Emily shook her head before she verbally protested.

"No, it's okay, I can't do that to you," Emily protested, shaking her head.

"It's okay," Paige insisted, "I'm offering, and besides, there's nothing you can do to stop me anyway," her tone was a bit angry. She seemed conflicted. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly, "It sounds like I'm forcing you." She stopped and looked back at Emily with a somber expression on her bruised face. "Please let me walk you home; it wouldn't sit right with me if I let you go and something happened to you," she pleaded. Emily nodded her head curtly. If she were honest, she was glad that she wouldn't be walking alone.

At first, it was quiet. Paige looked down as she walked, occasionally licking at her busted lip. The wind began to pick up and Emily felt colder. She didn't think Paige would notice but suddenly, her jacket was offered. Emily declined but Paige insisted. Emily felt silly for thinking that Paige's jacket would smell like cigarettes, or that it'd be cold. But it was warm and smelled faintly of fragrant perfume or shampoo.

Emily started the conversation, commenting briefly on the party. Paige listened dutifully, watching her feet as they walked. She tentatively asked about Paige's bruises, frowning when she had heard Paige's answer.

"I was at the cemetery," she explained, "And a few…" she trailed off, looking for a word to describe her assailants, "stoners walked through. They saw me and it got ugly." Emily wanted to ask why. She knew there was something wasn't telling her. "People see me and they think I'm just like _him_," and Emily knew immediately who Paige had been talking about. "I'm paying for his sins." Paige sounded resigned, like she was so used to everyone treating her badly. "And my mother… she loved me but she loved _him _more," she spat the last part of the sentence out with disgust.

"Then why go visit her?" Emily asked, not able to contain her questioning. She thought Paige wouldn't bother to answer the question or begin to cry.

"I can't choose my family," she answered, "I've only got one mom… _had_ one mom. My dad had been dead to me for a long time." Emily nodded, suddenly overcome with a sense of grief. She remembered her feelings for Ali years ago. She remembered how she felt when she had gone missing: like a part of her was missing too. "My mom… sometimes she tried to make it better. She would apologize over and over… that's why I visit her."

"Did you know…," Emily asked, not quite able to finish the sentence. But Paige knew what she was asking.

"I knew when you knew," Paige shrugged. "My mom couldn't handle it." Emily ached for her mother's embrace. She couldn't imagine losing both her mother and father. She couldn't imagine half the things Paige went through. "I'm sorry," Paige paused, "I'm dumping all of this on you."

Emily shook her head, "No, it's good to talk to someone," she assured.

"But I don't know you and you don't know me," Paige reasoned. Emily shook her head. She stopped and offered her hand to Paige.

"Hi, I'm Emily Fields," she greeted, not being able to help the smile that spread across her face. And Paige… she had never seen a smile so broken and beautiful.

"McCullers, Paige McCullers," Paige greeted back and at that, they laughed.

* * *

Emily was ready to pull out her phone and call Paige. She was a bit angry because Spencer was planting unwanted things in her head. She fought the urge, picking up the pen she dropped and gripping it hard to compose herself.

"Paige isn't lying, she wouldn't do that," she told Spencer. It was the only thing she had. She needed to leave; to find Paige, to stop herself from crying from even the thought of Paige lying to her. She gathered her things silently.

"Em," Spencer tried but Emily shook her head.

"Is this what you wanted?" Emily asked once her things were secure in her backpack. "You wanted me to doubt Paige?"

"No, of course not, I was just-," Spencer was cut off.

"Just what?" Emily asked, "Was this a test to see how well I knew my girlfriend? Was this the response you were looking for?"

"Em, calm down, I didn't mean to-," she stated but was cut off again.

"You never do, do you?" she asked, storming out of the kitchen and out of Spencer's house. She threw her things in the passenger seat and sat in the driver's seat, fuming. She gripped at the steering wheel and tried hard not to cry. Maybe she overreacted. She'd apologize to Spencer later. She started the car. She needed to find Paige.

* * *

Emily walked through rows and columns, remembering where Paige's mother's grave had been. She walked briskly, trying hard not to step on anyone's graves in a gesture of respect. She spotted Paige picking at the grass, sitting against her mother's tombstone. She seemed to be talking. She looked up and spotted Emily.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Paige asked, getting up and dusting her pants off. It reminded her vaguely of the night they had first met. Emily shook her head once she'd gotten closer and enveloped Paige into a hug.

"You're okay, right?" she asked, squeezing her girlfriend. Paige slowly wrapped her arms around her and squeezed.

"I'm fine," She answered, kissing Emily's cheek. "What's wrong, baby?" Paige asked, pushing away Emily to look at her.

"You wouldn't lie to me, would you?" Emily asked, leaning into Paige's hold.

"Of course not, where would you get that idea?" Paige asked, bringing her hand to Emily's back and rubbing it. Paige always did that when Emily was upset.

"You just… Anybody's that's gone through what you've been through can't wake up and be okay," Emily explained. "And you tell me that you're okay and I just believe you. But what if you're lying? What if you're not really okay, but you tell me that you are just so I don't worry?"

Paige shushed her once she was finished and hugged her tightly, "I'm not lying to you when I say that I'm okay," Paige promised. "You know why?" Emily shook her head against Paige's neck. "Because you keep me sane, Em," Paige answered. "I go to therapy to make sure that my demons don't burden you because at the end of the day, it's _you_ who makes me feel like… I'm loved; that I've always been loved." Emily let her tears fall. She squeezed at Paige tightly.

"I love you, I do," Emily insisted.

"I love you, too," Paige replied. "I've made peace with everything that happened," Paige told her, "I'm okay." Emily could only nod. She believed her. She believed Paige. Her girlfriend was fine; she wasn't lying. She wasn't going anywhere.


	7. Chapter 7

It's a short chapter, but it's a sexy chapter. I hope I've delivered on that part. It's Paige's turn to have some fun. Most of this chapter is Paily sex (giving this a warning). Also, this story is coming to an end in the next chapter, I believe. It's been so great writing here with all of your support. Thank you! Read! Enjoy! Review!

* * *

Her girlfriend had never been more beautiful. She was exhausted, her chest heaving up and down as she took desperate breaths. Her skin wore a thin sheet of sweat which gathered at her hairline and in between the valley of her breasts. Her hair was mussed and tangled and had only gotten worse with every position they executed. Her legs were open and bent, and it had only made Paige's destruction a whole lot easier.

This is what she considered lovemaking. She positioned herself between Paige's spread legs. Their slick bodies locked within each other's. With three fingers deep within Paige, she gave great thrusts and relished the reaction she got from Paige. She watched as Paige's breasts jumped with each thrust. Her eyes closed and she moaned her appreciation, threading her fingers through Emily's hair as her hips moved to meet Emily's thrusts.

Paige wasn't very vocal. If they were alone, she and Paige could have conversations for hours. But in social settings, Paige would rather observe everyone and everything quietly. She offered a few jokes to her friends and answered their questions when asked but she was a bit tight-lipped. But this… this was different. Paige was loud.

Paige moaned and keened loudly. She begged in the most teasing of ways. It had vulnerability written all over it and Emily felt so honored to have ever witnessed such sight. Paige was a screamer. And with just the right touch, she'd have Paige skyrocketing.

Emily let her head fall. She engulfed one of Paige's nipples and bit down on the wet flesh. Paige threw her head back and rocked desperately against her fingers. Emily lifted her head and their lips met, their faces hot and wet from sweat. She was so close, Emily could tell. All she needed was a little push.

Paige was wound so tightly. Emily had already given her a mind-blowing orgasm and knew that it wouldn't take much to make Paige come undone around her fingers again. Emily kept her resolve. She let her lips glide against Paige's as she pushed into Paige again and again. Paige moaned out, happily scratching at Emily's back and jerking her hips upward.

Emily felt it. She felt it in the way Paige's back arched upward, her breasts fitting right into Emily's mouth and she continued her assault. She felt it in the way Paige closed around her fingers and the way her hips rolled to ride out the sensations. She also felt it in the way Paige dug her fingers into the flesh of her back. Her girlfriend was a mess and Emily just _loved_ that she was the reason why.

Emily withdrew her fingers, not at all surprised with how wet they were. She stretched a bit before rising on her hands and knees. Her lips pressed bellow Paige's bellybutton and ascended up through the valley of Paige's breasts. Paige's chest heaved in search of breath and her eyes closed shut. As she calmed, her breath was beginning to even out.

"Paige?" Emily called out, staring at her girlfriend from atop her. Paige was falling asleep and from what she could tell, it was a deep sleep. "Paige," she called out again.

"Hmm?" Paige answered, her head falling to the side.

"Baby, wake up," Emily demanded, pecking Paige's lips. Paige flinched, almost as if she'd be waking but she was still lying asleep. "Paige," Emily whined, "Wake up!"

"No," Paige grumbled, "Go away," Paige said, batting away Emily lazily.

"No, Paige, wake up, baby," Emily demanded. Paige's eyes slanted open and the expression on her face was unpleasant. It seemed that Paige had forgotten where she was and what they'd been doing. "What the matter with you?" Emily asked finding humor in this situation. Paige was getting upset because she was waking her. It had only inflated her ego that much more.

"Get out of here!" Paige demanded, a pout setting along her features. Emily's face lit up with surprise. Paige was kicking her out!

"What?" she asked. She was trying hard but failing to keep the smile from her lips.

"Get out," Paige replied, lifting her hand and pointing at her bedroom door, "You can't expect to give me the best orgasms of my life and stay awake," Paige explained. Emily snorted with laughter, "I'm not kidding, leave," and Emily could see the smile on Paige's face matching her own. Emily's expression turned to a daring one. Paige wanted her out; she would leave. Once she made it to her feet, she began searching for her clothes. "Wait, where are you going?" Paige asked. Emily ignored her and spotted her underwear. Before she could put them on, Paige quickly got up and snatched them away.

"Paige!" she exclaimed, chuckling at the way Paige dangled them in her face teasingly. Paige smirked and threw them to a far corner of her bedroom. Emily gasped in surprise but before she could admonish her girlfriend, Paige had grabbed her to join the bed. Emily went down laughing hysterically.

"You thought you were gonna get away from me?" she asked, capturing Emily's lips in a kiss. Her lips found Emily open mouth, as Emily hadn't finished laughing. "I'll give you something to laugh for," Paige warned and immediately Emily's hands found Paige's. She didn't want to be tickled. Paige settled on top of her easily wriggling her hands from Emily's.

"No tickling," she said, her laughter dying as she submitted to Paige's kiss. When they pulled apart, Emily giggled.

"What?"

"Don't go around my mother with that," she answered, pointing at a spot on Paige's neck. Paige lifted a brow.

"Is it big?" Paige asked already knowing what Emily was talking about. The hickey on her neck would stay on her skin for a while. Emily nodded, a bashful smile adorning her face. She was proud of her work. "I think I should give you one to match," Paige shrugged and leaned in to kiss Emily's neck. Emily squealed with laughter and squirmed when Paige began tickling her.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone, this is the end! It's a little heartbreaking for me, too. Anyway, thank you for sticking with this story and with me. I appreciate it very much. Read! Enjoy! Review!**

* * *

Spencer watched on, standing not too far from the entrance. Toby was out getting the car and she was waiting for the couple before her on the dance floor. She gave a sigh, a mix of bittersweet emotions filling her. Hanna walked up to her and stood in the same manner and watched the couple on the dance floor.

"She really is happy, isn't she?" Spencer asked, smiling at the sight of her best friend's smile. Emily and Paige were in their own world. Prom was dispersing quickly. Every few minutes it was emptier and emptier. They were ready to leave; except Paige had asked Emily for one last dance and it just so happened to be Emily's current favorite slow song. Now they were among the last couples on the dance floor, two-stepping slowly to Lana Del Rey's "Lucky Ones".

"She is," Hanna answered, digging through her bag for what Spencer thought was her phone, "You know, they almost put you and Toby to shame," she commented. Spencer looked at Hanna wide-eyed. Hanna looked at her with a sheepish grin before explaining. "You know, because it was cute that you two had the smart thing going on and he kind of relaxed you and you kind of gave him life," she explained, snapping a few pictures of Paige and Emily. Spencer snorted at the explanation. "You guys were cute that way," she added, "But you see Emily and you see that she hasn't had any luck in love and then along comes Paige and look at that smile, Spence," she instructed. Spencer looked back at the dancing couple. Emily had on the brightest smile. She and Paige were talking quietly over the song and Paige must have said something funny because Emily dropped her head and her shoulders shook. And Paige vibrated with pride because she made Emily laugh like that.

"You're right," Spencer agreed, "They are cuter than Toby and me." Hanna nodded beside her. "Cuter than you and Caleb, too," she added. Hanna looked indignant for a moment before she shrugged.

"That's also true," she said, giving Spencer a slight pout. But those two weren't paying attention. As the song ended, Spencer and Hanna watched as Emily leaned forward and gave Paige soft, lingering kiss. She then took the hand of an entranced Paige and dragged her off the dance floor. Paige followed mindlessly, snapping out of it when they met up with Spencer and Hanna.

Paige had a lake house. Who knew? Spencer wasn't all that surprised. The McCullers had money and what they did with it was never totally obvious. And so that's where they were headed. Spencer wondered briefly how eight people would fit into the house, but Paige explained that there were four bedrooms. And at first, she didn't understand why the Lake house had four bedrooms when Paige was an only child but the girl explained that it was for past familial use; like family reunions.

Spencer, Toby, Aria and Ezra followed Emily's car to the lake house. She expected the house to be old and decrepit, seeing as it was an hour and half away and Paige seemed accustomed to taking the backwoods route. She expected that there was no one to keep it maintained, but it was beautifully refurnished. Once they pulled up, they could see the beautiful lake several yards away from the house and how the moon reflected off the calm waters. It was breathtaking.

Spencer was suddenly hit with a pang of sorrow, although it was miniscule and brief. She had known that Paige and Emily were planning to come here alone. She could remember asking a few days before Prom if she and Toby could join them. And they couldn't really deny Hanna's self-invitation even if they wanted to. Still, if they were alone, Paige and Emily could have had this for themselves. This romantic place to just… be. They had a place to be away from the world and spend a few days alone before everything gets crazy. She knew that Paige would be going to the same school as Emily, but she also knew that with going to college, their schedules would become unbelievably complicated. This place was their memory to make. But Paige didn't seem embittered about her girlfriend's friends joining them. She accepted it easily.

They settled in the den of the lake house. Well, most of them did. Hanna and Caleb disappeared into one of the bedrooms but everyone else settled for drinking and board games. It wasn't much that Spencer remembered about that night. It wasn't much, but she could distinctly remember being lifted in Toby's arms and then being set down on a very comfortable, plush bed.

* * *

The first thing she smelled when she awoke was breakfast. The headache pounding along her skull did nothing to stop her from getting up and making her way downstairs to the kitchen. When she made it downstairs, she saw Aria at the stove starting pancakes.

"I thought I smelled coffee," She greeted. Aria gave her a bright smile and shrugged.

"There was coffee, but we weren't awake when it was made," she answered. Spencer looked at her quizzically. Her head tipped in explanation, "Emily and Paige are having brunch outside, lakeside." Spencer analyzed the sentence and nodded dumbly. "But I'm going to make your coffee now," she added and Spencer smiled thankfully at Aria. Ezra joined them in the kitchen and offered her a mumbled "goodmorning". Once she returned it she made her way out onto the porch.

She found Hanna there. The blonde was wrapped in a silk blue robe, presumably to fight off the slight breeze in the late morning/early afternoon. Spencer was thankful that the porch presented a relenting shade and that she was not bombarded with the sun.

"Morning," she said to Hanna. Hanna gave her an acknowledging smile and then looked back at what she had been looking at before Spencer joined her. Spencer followed her gaze. Her eyes landed on Emily and Paige. They were under a tree along the bank of the lake, sitting onto a blanket with a picnic basket between them. Emily let out a bellowing laugh after Paige enthusiastically rushed out a story.

"I've never seen Emily laugh like that," Hanna said behind her. Spencer nodded her head curtly in agreement and watched the scene before her. Paige threw an article of food in the air and opened her mouth to catch it. It fell to Paige's face and jumped from her cheek and onto the blanket underneath them. Emily giggled loudly as Paige feigned injury. If Spencer squinted hard enough, she could tell that it was a grape. "You know…" Hanna began, "Paige is going to be around for a long time," she finished.

Spencer bit her lip in contemplation. She wanted to ask: _How do you know?_ It was no secret that she was concerned about Emily and their relationship, but from what she could see, Emily was fine. And even if _fine_ wasn't anything to go off of, she never wanted to see Emily without the smile Paige was giving her. "I know," Spencer replied. Hanna stepped beside her.

"You think you can handle that?" Hanna asked. Spencer gave it some thought.

"Yeah," she answered, "Yeah, I can."

* * *

"Dance with me!" Paige said, hopping up to stand on her feet. Emily eyed her with wide, surprised eyes. It seemed ridiculous. Just a bit, but Paige was standing, making sure to avoid the brunch foods with her hand held out.

"Right here?" she asked, "Right now?" Paige shrugged and threw her a grin.

"Right here, right now," she confirmed. Emily stood on her feet.

"But there's no music," she stated.

"I'll take care of that," Paige told her, moving closer to her. Paige took out her phone and scrolled through the menu and found music. Emily smiled widely when she heard her favorite song fill up the space around them. Paige positioned her hands accordingly in manner to follow. "I'll follow your lead," she said. It surprised Emily. Paige usually lead when they were slow dancing, but that was mainly because Emily got lost in Paige's eyes and fumbled on her footing – not that she would tell Paige that.

She let the music guide her and lead Paige into a jumbled waltz. Paige chuckled every time, laughingly apologizing every time she stepped on Emily's feet. They would look back on this moment. They would look back on this romantic, lakeside picnic and perhaps, tell their children. Paige made her happy and she made Paige and that's all that mattered. Her life would be starting soon with college and she couldn't be happier with that she was starting it with Paige.

"I love you," Emily announced after she had stepped on Paige's feet. Paige looked down at her feet before looking up at her, like she'd been surprised.

"I love you too." And what was more important to Emily is that when Paige said it, she could feel it with no doubt in her heart. "I think I need to lead now, Fields," Paige said. Emily cackled but nodded her head as Paige began to lead.

_**The End**_


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